The Fortunate #03 – Selflessness of the Prophet Muhammad

So are they going to liberal Catherine

Bismillah R Rahman r Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi Germain I'm about. So we are going through the series on Monday night the character of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called the fortunate, meaning that if you have the clock of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if you embody and exhibit the character of the Prophet alayhi salam, then inshallah you are amongst the fortunate ones. And this is a reflection of a Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Nonetheless, today we are talking about a important topic. And the reason why he chose today's topic is because living in

America, we have studied and we have learned a very selfish kind of attitude, where we only worry about ourselves, we only care about ourselves. And while that is true, to some extent, and yes, we do worry about ourselves, we do care for ourselves. And at the same time, we understand that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he has something in his life called Al ethos, which is called selflessness. And the definition of selflessness is not just about giving preference to others. See, in Arabic, there are three different words I want you to understand. And remember, one is called Sahaba. What is the Hawa anyone noticed the hallways, a very common word, check. Not charity.

Generous, okay means to be generous, but there's a difference. Being having Sahaba or being a Sufi as they say, is to give something that you have for example, there is a call for donation, you get up you give like $50 $100, whatever you have in your pocket at that time, to give that money you become a Sufi or you may be known as a Sufi, then there is another word called L Jude L. Jude also means to be generous, but that generous means when you give an enormous amount for the sake of Allah subhanaw taala. And you keep with yourself a certain amount to, but the word isa means it is the highest level of giving it is not just giving when in terms of money is in terms of time, in terms

of energy, in terms of anything that you take away from yourself, where you are giving preference to someone else over you in something that you may need. That is called a etha. And this is something that we learn from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and I will share with you few stories to help us understand what does ether mean. And then not only that, but I want to share with you some stories from the seat of the Prophet Salam, that why do we need to teach our kids also? The How to be selfless? First of all, yes, I do come forward. I you do come first in my life. But I also look after the needs of other people. So let's talk about this. The problem is that Allahu Allah, he was

sending them living in Morocco, we all know his situation. Heavy opposition, people are against him, people at his throat, people always planning against him creating agendas against him. You have omega bin Khaled, you have Abu jehlen, all the other enemies of Islam.

A normal person, let's talk about a normal person. And then the problem is I'll send them a normal person would say that you know what, I have enough problems going on in my life. I don't have time for anyone else. That is what a normal person was saying. The problem is that a lot of what he was saying was approached by a man. This man came to the province suddenly he complained that he says yes, who law? He says that I heard. And you know, at that time when people had a problem, they would go around asking the who can help me in my manner, just like we do today. We have a problem. We're stuck in a situation. We always ask Rhonda who is the best man for the job. So he this man, what

happened was he sold something to one of the leaders, the Quraysh, the leader, that leader of the Quraysh he did not give him the money. In fact, when this man went to his house and said Pay up now you took you bought something from me. He's like, I don't know you, man. You know, like you've you've knocked on this on the wrong door. I have nothing to do with you. I don't know you. He's began to say and absolve himself from pain. So he asked around, he goes, who is the best man to contact? They said that go talk to that man sitting there. And that was Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Now this man came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he says, I'm a man

who's not from here. I don't know the people here, but you know the people here. I need your help. Now, pause here for a second. Let's understand this. The problem is as salaam. He's about to help this man, knowing very well that he needs help himself. He needs support himself in Makkah, but what did he do? He put himself behind and he put the needs of that other man before his needs. He said okay, what do you need? And he said, There is a man who took bought something from me and he's refusing to pay up. Now that man, just so happened to be one of the leaders have the courage and one of the enemies that won the opposition of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Now the person was

thinking to himself, should I go to that person or not this? This person already has a beef with me

that I am proclaiming Allah is one I'm proclaiming that I am the messenger of Allah. They don't agree. And I'm fine. I go on behalf of this person, then what are the chances of him listening to my case? He says, You know what, that's fine. I'll go with you. Once again, selflessness, he went, and the story is a longer story. I'm going to cut his short, he went all the way to that person and that person he did pay up why? And the operation leaders, they asked that other person, he goes, Why did you pay up? Like, how did you just like melt and firm Roswaal saw Santa because when the profit went to his house, he said, Yes, I said, I'll go, I'll get the money. You went inside. He got the money.

He came, you give the money, and he closed his door. And they and he said later on, when he was being mocked for that. He said that behind the Prophet saw some I saw a camel. Allah had placed a camel, right behind Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa salam, and no one could see that camel, I saw that camel and it was staring me in the eye. Like I better pay up. And therefore I went inside. I didn't argue with the profit center. I came in I gave them money. point is this, the province of Salem knowing very well what his situation is, he puts someone above his needs. Let's talk about a Sahaba of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

A man came to the Prophet SAW Salem and this is Subhanallah so amazing, so amazing. Because this is not only the ethos, and the Prophet sallallahu, the prophet some the Prophet it is I'm being selfless here. It is the fact that another Sahabi was showing his selflessness and he was appreciated for it. And the person didn't worry about him being appreciated for it or not. First of all, a man came and prompt someone says yes, hello, I'm hungry. I need something to eat. The man that province has some sent a messenger to his home and said, Go find out is there anything on my house, this is the houses of Rasulullah sallallahu sallam, the messenger came back said to the

Prophet at some jasola I went to your home or some of your few homes close by. They all said they have nothing to eat at home. Okay, they have nothing to eat at home. Now, if I am hungry, if I'm hungry, before I worry about anyone else, I'm worried about my hunger right? The problems I've settled on instead of asking that, is there anyone who has food for me? He said, Is there anyone who can entertain this guest at night? Not worrying about himself? He put the guests first. Is there anyone who can entertain his guests? And I'm sorry, companion. So if he says yes, I can entertain the guest. He took him home. He asked his wife is there anything to eat at home? She says the only

thing we have is only for the children mean that even for the parents, there's nothing to eat only for the children. He said on Saudi compound told his wife told the children that you're going to start cooking the food and in the anticipation of the food being prepared. Hopefully they will go to sleep. They went to sleep. Now, they don't want to make the guests feel uncomfortable. And they don't have enough to feed all three of them. They only have enough food to feed the guest. What did they do? They put out the candle and they let that guest eat and they acted husband and wife acted as if they're eating too so that they don't make the guest uncomfortable and the guests ate and he

left. That's it. The next day when this unsalted companion came to the Prophet saw a lot hotter you were sending them a lot. I appreciated the fact that this man went out of his way he put his children behind, he put he and his wife behind for the needs of this man and Allah subhanho wa Taala in Russia, there is an Iowa Allah subhanho wa Taala wherein he says where you see Runa Allah unfussy him when Oh, can I be him Hassan saw that and give them the emigrants preference over themselves, even though they are in need of it. And this is exactly what the companion did. But once again, let's go back there was not only the selfless selflessness of the Prophet SAW Salem, here, you find

the selflessness of the sahabi. And if you are ever, ever in a situation where you put someone above you and you feel like that, no one's gonna appreciate you the fact that this man did this. It was so beloved to Allah, Allah, Allah sent a word he, I mean, think about that. Allah sent a worry regarding the act of this man, meaning that when you put people above you, and you put their needs above you, this is something very beloved to Allah subhanho wa taala. Think about this on a Saturday morning, you want to wake up late, you want to have an amazing national, okay, you want to have a very nice breakfast, you want to spend some quality time with your children. That is what we all

would like to do. But to take time out of your busy schedule and going for a charitable cause going somewhere helping someone putting a smile on someone else's face. Yes, it may be hot outside. For example, I remember not long ago, there was it

They had this like big, you know, backpack event at the park here in Dallas. Going there, it's the morning you want to be with your family, but going over there going and putting people above your needs and putting their wants before your ones. That's called being selflessness. That's called a ethos. And so this is something that we all need to first of all learn now, how do we teach this to our children to we have to always teach things like this to our children. But not only that, but in the time of the Prophet SAW Allah SubhanAllah. There were times when the property is on would put the Sahaba in that difficult situation to let me give you a story of who who radon. It was one of

those Sahaba, who was most of the time hungry, he never had anything to eat, and never had anything to eat. He was sat down next to the member of the Prophet sallallahu ala he was sending you have a Bucher that went by, and he says, oh, Bucha, Royal dawn, I want to talk to you about it of Sita, this idea. But what he had in mind is that hopefully we get into a conversation. And a worker tells me after a while that Oh, are you hungry? Do you want to come to my house for food? So in hopes that he will take him to his home? He was starting a conversation. Albuquerque got into a conversation after a while he could not do that conversation. And he left. After a while Omar came, he goes, Oh

my god, I I want to talk to you about something. What do you think about this idea? Okay. And almost says, you know, I think my this is my opinion about this idea. And he left now see Subhanallah the prophets of salaam he was always understanding of people and their needs. And the person came by, and he says, yeah, so I have a question for you. And he says, what, what is the what is the meaning of this idea? And the problem said so, and then he says, are you hungry? Okay. Are you hungry? And he says, yes. So I'm really hungry. I need something to eat. So he said, Okay, let's go. Let's go to my home. And you took him home. And he says that the province has sent him someone had brought, or

he had the problem. Some had a bowl of milk. He only had a bowl of milk. And he says, I have this bowl of milk. Now think about a man who's hungry, okay. He has nothing to eat, and you have a bowl of milk and a problem and he's about to drink. And the problem says

he says, you know, in the masjid, in the back of the Masjid. There was a group of people that lived over there. They were called as hobble sofa. Okay, they were called us haba sofa. These were people who lived in the masjid. They will always stay inside the Masjid. They will learn from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and so forth. So he says that before you can drink, go to the masjid called the US House. And he says jasola He's thinking to himself, like, Oh my God, would you call me they go, I'm not gonna get anything out of this. So then he says he very reluctantly, he went to the masjid. He says all of you are being invited to the house of the prophets of Salaam. He's not really

happy about this. Okay. But once again, the problem is I'm gonna try and teach him selflessness. And then he says to him, and then when he sits down, when he sits down, and he knows that if I sit next, if I sit on the right side of the province of Salem, I'm gonna get the milk first, okay? And everyone's gonna get after me. So the person says, I want you to sit here.

And he's like, yeah, so Allah, this is difficult for me. And then he says, oh, and then he tells about it before you can drink. I want you to serve to everyone first. And he's like,

I'm so hungry over here. And here, you're giving to everyone else, and the problem, son, but once again, the problem is teaching him it might be a little forcefully against his intent against his will. But teaching him the importance of selflessness, teaching him the importance that in many cases in life, you have to learn how to put people above you, because you will find people who are suffering, you have people who are generous, but there are very few people who put others above them. And then after giving to everyone else, and thinking that by the time it comes to me, I'm not gonna get anything out of this. So whatever came Okay, whatever came the leftovers that came to the

problem said drink and this was one of those stories, where it is also mentioned in the CASA is as the one of the margins of Rasulullah sallallahu. It was set it up that how he was able to that he drink the bottles because after Buddha drink the first sip and he drank the problem says, drink more, drink more, drink more. And after a while, Buddha said no, yeah, so I can't take any more. I cannot drink any more. And then the problem he took at the very end, but first of all this goes to show us that the province has Salam he first taught Abu Hurayrah selflessness but then he himself he exhibited selflessness too, right because he'd been he he himself being a leader the Prophet lay

some he could say, You know what, I first I'm gonna go and then everyone else was gonna go but that's not who it was, who was awesome was another story Jabil or the Yola time. It's about of trenches, the Sahaba they come to problems at some they're extremely hungry. They have began tying stones to their problems onto their belly. They come to the Prophet sallallahu it was somebody say yes to Allah. This is too much of a problem. Someone says he lifts up his shirt, and he says low

He says, I have two stones tied to my belly. Jabra comes from office and somebody says yes to Allah, you know, VIP service, okay? You come to my house and that's it, you know inshallah you and I are going to have dinner together. And he only had a little food. That's all he had. And the prom says, that's just me and he goes, Okay, you know, just one or two more people with you, you know, your clothes, your your clothes. Sahaba just bring them with you.

prophesized Salam, think about this. Imagine put yourself put any one of us we put ourselves in the shoes of the prophets of Salaam.

If I'm that hungry, and we've not had anything to eat in almost proper tangible food in 15 days, would you care about anyone else? No. The Prophet saw some he got up and he says, All Muslims, everyone, all the Muslims here today, you're invited to jabbers house now Javaris thinking Allah, how am I going to feed everyone? Okay, he's thinking to himself, I'm going to feed everyone. But once again, the problem is I was salam once to exhibit selflessness, it's not just about him, he's involved and all the other Sahaba they're also digging up right they're digging the trenches do as much as everyone else. Putting the Sahaba also first the province or something then gave special

instructions to Java and telling him that Java when this food is served, you don't open the you don't open the lid or don't remove the lid from the part where we had to sue the SIR the food from and I'm going to serve the food. I personally with my own hands, I'm going to serve the fruit in Java says that 10 people came, they came they ate the problem served them they left the next 10 came and this kept on going on in Java says every single time the next group of 10 will come with the next batch of 10 will come. I will think that after this there's not going to be any more food left but Subhanallah This is also one of the miracles of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The

story is that this food that is limited food that Javelin had only for like three people, or he hid himself his wife, the Prophet, alayhi salam and two three other more people the food that was probably only sufficient for five people or four people, it was sufficient for the whole group have this habit of the Ultra and home. The province has seldom taught everyone again selflessness. Now there's I just want to share just just two Hadith with you the Prophet salallahu Salam and then inshallah conclude the very first thing is how do you read or the alotta on who called the Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa salam and I want you to listen very carefully he says Tom will is

named Kavitha that the food of two people is sufficient for three people Well Tom was the Lhasa caffeine herba and these food are three people is sufficient for four people and Muslim does it the prophets or something he says Thor I'm gonna why Hayden yuck fee is named, that the full of one person is sufficient for two people and the food of two people is sufficient for four people. Well, Tom will autobiography testimonia and the food of four people can be sufficient for eight people. Now this hadith the Prophet SAW sent him to Allah mother explained that this is in the case, that when you do not share the food or you not keep the food only to yourself, but you share with others.

When you share with others and you give others and you give preference to others, that one food that you may think that it's not not sufficient for you or it just may be sufficient for you. Then it will be sufficient for more people. Allah puts Baraka when you share with other people, Allah subhanho wa Taala loves the fact that when Allah gives us something, whether it's money, whether it's time, whether it's energy, whatever it may be, whatever resources Allah has given us, when we use that to benefit mankind, benefit mankind. Allah subhanho wa Taala loves that a man came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he says yeah rasool Allah I use for the quality of urine, which

sadaqa has the most amount of reward. Now the problem is I'll send him he says now this is also the Hadith that teaches us selflessness. He says, well under sadaqa that you give sadaqa in the state, we're under sahih. Han that you are absolutely healthy that when you are healthy, you feel like I want to keep every single penny to myself, me for me in my family. But he says what antasari One Shaheed one you are also not greedy, but you want more and more. And then he says stop shall *er and you fear poverty, what

and you wish and you desire and you have a hope to be rich one day. This is the fact that you have these feelings and you go against these feelings and you give it you know, you want money so bad. We all love money. We all work hard for money. The fact that when the time comes to give sadaqa you're giving sadaqa you're putting someone else's needs above our needs, that is a sign of your selflessness. Now finally, what are the levels of ethos? There are three different levels of ethos there are mentioned by the ALMA the rave

First one is putting the needs of others above you. And we've talked about that extensively. And we always try to do that. The second thing is putting the needs of Allah or putting the ones of Allah above our wants, we want to do something. Allah wants something else from us. We put always always in our life we will always put Allah above our once is not that and I will not say I don't want to call it needs because Allah does not need any one of us. Allah does not need our Abba, Allah does not need our Salah Allah does not need I was the God. Allah does not need anything from us in order for Allah to maintain his respect, his honor and his dignity, Allah does not need us. So I will say

this, that we put Allah's once and Allah's wishes above our wishes, and our once and the last type of ethos, which is probably the most difficult, this is the most difficult, putting the needs of someone else above yours, and not getting credit for it. It is very difficult. You do something for someone, there were so many Sahaba at the time of the Prophet SAW Salem, there are so many Allah ma after the tabular in the temple who are in you know, numerous stories that we find in the books have seen in the books of history, and other books, Islamic books that were people they would go and they would donate and they would help out others and will lie people did not know who's the person who's

helping, they don't know who's the person behind this, this great, this great achievement, they have no idea. But that person keeps it to themselves. Because the only the reward that they want is not from the look of Allah, they want it from the Holic, they want it from the Creator. And that is Allah subhanho wa taala. So when when people do not give you credit for it, or people may not even come and acknowledge that you've done something, you may feel that I want to tell people about this, you may want to feel that I should tell people that I did something such and such. But this is where the test is, if no one finds out, at least my Allah knows. And if I go out of my way, and I start

telling other people that I did this, and I did this because I want a credit for it. Then Allah subhanaw taala will give us no credit for this in the hereafter. So ask ALLAH SubhanA wa Taala to grant us this character, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, once again, I mean, one last thing I will say is this is that we do need to teach our kids selflessness. But at the same time, we teach them also also to strike a balance in life to You don't ever and when I say, being selfless, having selflessness over yourself, it means that at least on your end, there is something that you can give up your son, there's something that you can give up. And then you and at that time you look after

the needs of other people. selflessness is not something that we can apply a zactly you know, literally in every single situation to there are times where we have to look after our needs. There are times when we have to look after the needs of our family, but we have to create and strike a balance in our life and that is where as parents, we need to teach our kids this how do we strike a balance in this matter? And not only that, but if the parents are if they have this if they have this character, that they always help people out. They're always putting the needs of other people above sometimes their needs are there once your kids are going to see it will lie you don't have to

go to your kids and teach them that this is what selfless this means. They are intelligent enough to understand that this is what this is, when they grew up when they when they inshallah become adults. Then they will have this character within them to inshallah ask ALLAH SubhanA wa Tada to give all of us ability is that Kamala Hey Subhana Allah Homoeo Hamdi connection to Allah either illa Anta Nesta Fluka. To relate Zachman Allah head Samadhi comfortable to cattle